BOULDER, Colo. -- Growth for small and independent craft brewers remained stable for the first half of 2018, according to new mid-year metrics released by the Brewers Association (BA). Production volume for the craft segment increased 5% during the first half of 2018, the same growth reported a year ago.
“While more mature, the market continues to show demand for small and independent craft brewers,” said Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association. “There are certainly industry headwinds, but this stabilized growth rate is reflective of the market realities that exist for brewers today.”
As of June 30, there were 6,655 active breweries, up from 5,562 during a comparable time frame last year. An estimated 2,500 to 3,000 breweries are in planning, based on active Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) licenses, the association said.
“The data demonstrates that 2018 is on pace to have the highest number of brewery openings and closings to date. However, even as breweries close, openings continue to far outpace the number that shutter,” said Watson. “New players looking to enter the space should be aware of the constructs of the current landscape, work to differentiate themselves and will need to make quality beer to succeed.”
The Brewers Association defines a craft brewer as small (6 million barrels of beer or less), independent (less than 25% owned or controlled by an alcohol beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer) and traditional (has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation).
The Brewers Association, Boulder, Colo., is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.
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